CHARLOTTE, N.C. October 6, 2000—Geomagic Studio software from Raindrop Geomagic has been selected as a featured technology in what is believed to be the largest collection of high-level machining equipment and advanced computer hardware and software in motorsports.

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) announced October 5 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte that it will open an 8,000-square-foot Okuma Technology Center at its Welcome, N.C., complex. The center will be fully operational by the beginning of the 2001 race season. RCR is the NASCAR and Busch racing team whose stable of racers includes seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt; Okuma is a world leader in computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool technology.

Geomagic Studio digital duplication software will join Okuma machining equipment, Parametric Technology Corp.'s CAD/CAM software and Hewlett-Packard computer and printing hardware as the key technology tools used in the center.

RCR uses Geomagic Studio in its cylinder head porting process, which is critical to gaining horsepower in a racecar engine. Working with Parametric Technology's Pro-NC package, Geomagic Studio has helped reduce the time it takes to complete a pair of cylinder heads from 80 hours to 12. The software allows RCR engineers to take output from 3D scans, capture the texture and shape of the cylinder heads, and transform this information into models that can be used over and over again, saving days in production time.

"The selection of Geomagic Studio for this center validates its unique ability to enable rapid, accurate customized manufacturing," says Ping Fu, chief technology officer at Raindrop Geomagic. "We are proud to be a part of the most advanced machinery, software and hardware in the racing world today."

The Okuma Technology Center has been three years in the making, according to Lenny Batycki, vice president of operations at RCR. During that time, the RCR team realized that advanced engineering technology is playing a crucial role in creating a winning race car. "Working together, all of these technologies will enhance our ability to produce more advanced parts for our race cars that will help gain us that competitive advantage each weekend on the track," he says.

Raindrop Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) develops and markets 3D photography solutions. Geomagic Studio is the first product to provide precise dimensional (geometry) and photometric (color) information in one process. The result is true-to-life 3D models that can be created in minutes by anyone, rather than in days by a specialist. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.